Health Insurance And Health Savings Account Made Easy
Health Insurance Coverage As most developed countries continue to move from a manufacturing-based economy to a service economy, and employee working patterns continue to evolve, health insurance coverage has become less stable. The service sector offers less access to health insurance than its manufacturing counterparts. Further, an increasing reliance on part-time and contract workers who are not eligible for coverage means fewer workers have access to employersponsored health insurance.
With health insurance premiums on the rise, many small employers cannot afford to offer health benefits to their employees. Companies that do offer health insurance, often require employees to contribute a larger share toward their coverage. As a result, an increasing number of people have opted not to take advantage of job-based health insurance because they cannot afford it.
How does being uninsured harm individuals and families?
*Lack of health insurance coverage compromises the health of the uninsured because they receive less preventive care, are diagnosed at more advanced disease stages, and once diagnosed, tend to receive less therapeutic care and have higher mortality rates than insured individuals. *Regardless of age, race, ethnicity, income or health status, uninsured children were much less likely to have received a well-child checkup within the past year. Research shows that almost 50 percent of children without health insurance coverage did not receive a checkup in 2003, almost twice the rate (26 percent) for children with health insurance coverage. *People without health insurance coverage end paying "up front" -- before services will be rendered. When they are unable to pay the full medical bill in cash at the time of service, they can be turned away except in life-threatening circumstances. *About 20 percent of the uninsured (vs. 3 percent of those with coverage) say their usual source of care is the emergency room. *Studies estimate that the number of excess deaths among uninsured adults aged 25-64 is in the range of 18,000 a year. This mortality figure is more than the number of deaths from diabetes (17,500) within the same age group (10). *According to one another study, over a third of people without health insurance coverage have problems paying medical bills. The unpaid bills were substantial enough that many had been
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